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From the Bookshelf of Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy…

The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)

Liu Cixin,

Ken Liu (Translator)

Start date: January 21, 2015

Finish date: March 14, 2015

Discussion: Book Discussions

Discussion leader: Ben Rowe

Why we're reading this: Group Contemporary Novel discussion for mArch 2015
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Feb 10, 2020 Shhhh... Books rated it it was amazing

Shelves: scifi, ownvoices

I really loved this.

When people recommended this to me, they said very odd things, like "it's a thought experiment" or "the weirdest thing I ever read." What they really meant is that they rarely read thought-provoking twisty science fiction in the style of Blake Crouch or Andy Weir, because this felt very much like a high-octane Sci Fi thriller with great characters, CRAZY twists, and a wonderful historical backdrop with the echoes of China's Cultural Revolution deeply guiding the paths of the I really loved this.

When people recommended this to me, they said very odd things, like "it's a thought experiment" or "the weirdest thing I ever read." What they really meant is that they rarely read thought-provoking twisty science fiction in the style of Blake Crouch or Andy Weir, because this felt very much like a high-octane Sci Fi thriller with great characters, CRAZY twists, and a wonderful historical backdrop with the echoes of China's Cultural Revolution deeply guiding the paths of the scientists in this story.

Anyway what I liked -
(1) the beat cop, Shi Qiang or Da ("big") Shi. Such a great character rarely seen in fiction. A total pain in the ass. I wouldn't say he has "hidden depths" but he is wonderfully, boldly complex. Also, super funny.
(2) Ye Wenjie - her father is killed before her - beaten to death by middle schoolers during the Cultural Revolution. Later when she fails to sign her name as a witness to the list of his crimes, she's exiled as a intellectual class traitor. Pretty common stuff in terms of modern Chinese history, but I was almost shocked to see that in a Chinese best seller such an open discussion of the near-past was being examined. Also, Ye Wenjie's life is realistically and lovingly rendered. I really felt for her and how her empathy and intellect narrowed and expanded given her circumstances.
(3) The nano-tech is BAMF. What a great scene at the end.
(4) The video-game intro of the aliens. The world building. It starts off like Ready Player One or Ender's Game and then goes in a total loopty loo. Whatever the f---?!? so.great.
(5) I just loved the fact that this is written by a modern Chinese author who gets science but people too. The influence of an evil overlord state (except in this case an alien civilization) and the question of the mandate of heaven applying to humanity as a whole is so quintessentially Chinese in a great way. A natural outgrowth of the culture. I can't wait to see the people rise up in the next coming books and try and fail. Also, the drinking wine on the river at the end. It was such a nod to every great traditional Chinese poem in such a playful way.

Anyway, can't wait to read the next one. ...more

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May 15, 2020 Tani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi, male-author, 2020-novels, sff-2020, sff-explorer-2020, sff-awards-2020

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I'm very glad that I read it. Hard scifi is always hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit. I think that's because although this focuses on some science that is higher level, it also has a distinct philosophical bent, it explains the science in a way that is possible for a layperson to understand, and it has the added advantage of being set in a culture that is very different from the traditional Western scifi. All of these elements c I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I'm very glad that I read it. Hard scifi is always hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit. I think that's because although this focuses on some science that is higher level, it also has a distinct philosophical bent, it explains the science in a way that is possible for a layperson to understand, and it has the added advantage of being set in a culture that is very different from the traditional Western scifi. All of these elements combined made this a very interesting and absorbing read.

My first impression of The Three-Body Problem was one of confused interest. For probably the first half of the book, I really had no idea what was going on. Events were happening, but within the broader framework of the world, I didn't know why or what significance they could possibly have. Still, I found myself reading almost compulsively, just to try and figure out how everything was going to come together. This could have been a very frustrating experience, but instead it was very rewarding when I did find out what was going on.

I also was very intrigued by the cultural aspects. Chinese fiction is not something that I generally read, so the information that this book provided about the Cultural Revolution and China in general was really interesting. It's always so refreshing to get a perspective on a different culture than your own. I think that this experience was only enhanced by the translation from Ken Liu. He does a wonderful job of inserting footnotes to help Western readers, and I really appreciated the context that he was able to provide to comments that would have otherwise been completely oblique to me.

The one area of weakness that was apparent in this book was definitely character. There's definitely a feeling of distance from all of the characters, even when they're relating deeply personal events. I never really grew attached to any of them, and they definitely felt like vehicles for the plot more than anything else. This certainly wasn't a dealbreaker, but it's something that could have elevated my enjoyment of the book even further.

Overall, I was very impressed with this, and had a great time reading it. I hope that I get a chance to read the sequels soon! ...more

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Mar 20, 2021 Scot rated it really liked it

Though the physics employed in this novel was often over my head and the cultural impact of Chinese civilization on the style of writing and character development were new to me, I still enjoyed this story and its premises immensely.

The basic idea is that an advanced alien civilization makes contact with the human race and a rogue scientist, whose life has been traumatized by society and government, sends a request to the alien civilization to come take over Earth. This sets off a chain of event ...more

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Dec 29, 2014 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Fiction about an unsolvable math problem and multi-dimensional particles made for a very interesting story, to my surprise - so often mathematics makes for rather dry fiction when it is the basis of the tension in a story... But that was not the case here. Plus a lot of Chinese history that I was only marginally familiar with to round it out. The translation was beautiful, too. This review is of the audio book version.

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